Did you hear?... Nantahala Outdoor Center hires public relations team of Peak Exposure

Nantahala Outdoor Center, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, has hired the public relations team of Peak Exposure, according to company marketing VP Mark Singleton, "To expand our reputation as leaders in the paddlesports industry through pioneering innovative programs like Rapid Progressions to help grow participation." "Rapid Progressions - Learn to Paddle, Guaranteed" is a program Nantahala designed to "minimize the fear and maximize the fun" for first-time kayakers. All courses ranging from one weekend to two weeks -- each with an optional graduation trip to Costa Rica -- come with NOC's guarantee that if you don't successfully complete a course, you can return for another course for free, excluding meals and lodging expenses. And, if you don't want another course, instructional fees will be refunded.

Climb High has retained Peak Exposure, of Boulder, Col., to provide PR services for Mammut and Julbo brands in the U.S. Susan Fecko, of Fecko Creative Consultants has joined the Peak Exposure team to work with them as a media contact for Climb High, Mammut, and Julbo. Climb High ...read more

>> Note to marketing flaks -- don't use a term to promote or define a feature technology if you really don't know what it means. Take for example, a recent story in Popular Science -- click here to read -- that takes Docker's to task for using the word "nanotechnology" to define ...read more

>> A product recall was issued on July 1, 2004, by Snow Peak in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- www.cpsc.gov -- for approximately 1,900 pumps for the Snow Peak White Gas Stove GS-010. Snow Peak has discovered that under high temperatures, the plastic ...read more

>> The eighth annual Outdoor Industry Association Rendezvous held in Vail, Colo., from Oct. 2-5, brought together 202 industry leaders, a 10 percent increase over last year's attendance. The event was strongly supported by a long list of sponsors including: REI, Merrell, ...read more

>> Despite rumors to the contrary, Outdoor Retailer show management confirmed with SNEWS that Winter Market remains a four-day show. Outdoor Retailer Trade Show Director Peter Devin told SNEWS that, "while there is strong interest in exploring a three-day show, there is by no ...read more

For the week of March 8-14 >> One new technical apparel company, Westcomb, from Vancouver, British Columbia, showed up at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, holing up in a small room in the Marriot and enticing buyers and media to come take a look-see (we didn't mention the company ...read more

Todd Walton has been promoted to public relations coordinator for Outdoor Research, filling the position vacated by Jim Meyers earlier this month. Todd has been with Outdoor Research for three years. He can e reached by email at: toddw@orgear.com ...read more

>> Jeff Bowman, of Cascade Designs, informed SNEWS that in-house PR maven Kitty Graham's position has been eliminated, meaning Graham, a 10-year veteran at Cascade is on the market. Graham, a winner of the SNEWS Editor's Voice PR Award in 2001 and runner up in 2002, was, ...read more

>> On the heels of a huge growth spurt in 2002, Mike Hosey, president of HighGear, told SNEWS® that the company again exceeded projected growth in 2003 reporting sales up 256 percent from the previous calendar year. Hosey told us a significant portion of the sales growth can be ...read more